November 13, 2021
In the all-Saskatchewan, Western Hockey League match-up, the very young Swift Current Broncos hosted the Prince Albert Raiders.
Both teams have struggled out of the gates this season sporting similar records of 3 and 4 games below 500. The Raiders have the more experienced line-up, however the Broncos might have the more exciting squad.
The game was relatively uneventful with some of the most exciting plays happening post-whistle. The final had the Raiders on top 4-1 with an empty-netter.
Here are the 2022 NHL draft eligible players who we watched closely.
Swift Current Broncos
| Owen Pickering | Swift Current Broncos | WHL | L | D | 6’4″ | 193 | Swift Current Broncos | 2020 | St. Adolphe, MB | 2004 | 2021-2022: C+ |
There is quite a bit of hype around Owen, and it is well deserved. He is a tall, smooth skating defenceman, who plays well in all situations. He competes hard and is a very smart hockey player. One of his first shifts of the game he showed a strong aspect of his defensive game. Perfect positioning for a 1-on-1 situation, close gap while disguising his reach. A quick poke check created a turnover and his feet quickly transitioned up ice. Later on in the first he gave us a glimpse of his powerful skating by picking up the puck behind his net and wheeling through the neutral zone with fluidity, not often found in frames like his. He finished it off with a nice chip around the defender and a shot on net. In his own end his positioning could use some fine tuning, he seems to rely a little too much on his reach in some scenarios, whereas his body would be more effective. Further to that point, his reaction time on quick moves from opposition needs to tighten. Stops and starts from opposition cause him some grief when he’s relying on his stickwork. In the defensive zone with the puck he makes quick, sound decisions regardless if he is pressured. He is very decisive and the majority of the plays made are very smart and effective. For a taller player he executed some difficult plays with his quick hands in the corner while competing for loose pucks.
Owen scored the lone goal for the Broncos in which he started and finished it on the power play. He showed some wonderful skating ability picking up the puck behind his net before going coast-to-coast to set up in the offensive zone. After some quick puck movement by the Broncos Pickering worked himself into the backdoor all alone and finished with some quick hands off a cross-body pass. On the penalty kill, besides the goalie, he was by far their most important player. His stick in lanes and pressure made it almost impossible for Prince Albert to work the puck down low. Following shots on net he was clearing bodies and pucks. Owen is a very good prospect and his name will be called during the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. Grade A-
| Matthew Ward | Swift Current Broncos | WHL | L | C | 5’8″ | 157 | Swift Current Broncos | 2019 | Kamloops, BC | 2004 | 2021-2022: C+ |
Mathew is another one of the Broncos highly touted prospects. He averaged a point per game in the WHL bubble last season as a 16-year-old, and this year he is ahead of that pace. This game we didn’t see the explosive and dynamic offensive side of his game, but we did see his physicality on full-display. His skating, balance and center of gravity is incredibly impressive. He threw several bone-crushing body checks to players moving faster and who were much bigger, furthermore he leveled a few who were trying to hit him. Mathew doesn’t look small on the ice, nor does he play small. He competes very hard and attacks the puck and the opposition with a purpose. His 200 foot game was quite impressive. He was tough on the forecheck and on the backcheck. In the offensive, neutral and defensive zones he punished the opposition. With the puck on his stick he can make plays. His passing is top notch, accurate and smart – hard when required or soft touches into open ice were both executed very well. On the power play he was the main distributor, the puck was on and off his stick in a split second giving his teammates perfect dishes to shoot. The shots from the Broncos were limited in this game, however Mathew has proven he has a touch around the net. We will hear his name called in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft. Grade B+
| Reid Dyck | Swift Current Broncos | WHL | L | G | 6’4″ | 194 | Swift Current Broncos | 2019 | Winkler, MB | 2004 | 2020-2021: C |
Reid picked up the third star in the game after stopping 28 of the 31 shots he faced. A few of the saves were 10-bell with some incredibly athletic post-to-post movement. In tight he showed great anticipation and was able to follow the puck well. His low saves were very strong and both left and right pads were equally athletic. Where Reid had some issues was with the plays developing farther from the net. He lost the puck a few times in cross-ice passes and then fumbled a few point shots that hit him in the chest. For the most part Reid found himself square to the puck and limiting second-chance opportunities for Prince Albert. In times he left the net and in warm-up it was easy to see Reid is an above average skater and puck handler. There were a few times when communication could have been better between him and the defencemen, but overall it wasn’t an issue. Reid had a strong game and was the main reason the game was close. Grade B+
| Rayan Bettahar | Swift Current Broncos | WHL | L | D | 6’1″ | 194 | Swift Current Broncos | 2021 | Nowy Targ | 2004 | 2021-2022: C |
This was my first time seeing Bettahar play and I was really pleased with his overall abilities. The first-year WHLer showed more poise and patience than anyone on the ice. He is a very strong skating defenceman with high level agility and footwork. His escapes from forecheckers were superior to anyone on either team. He made quick fakes and spun away, used the net, or simply his quick feet to break the puck up ice. His passing was terrific, however his poise may catch up with him against a stronger forechecking team. He did hold on to the puck a few times waiting for lanes to open up, and when they did he delivered strong passes. He may need to be more decisive in his deliveries. Defensively he is relies heavily on his skating ability – where he could be more efficient with better positioning. He did get caught on the wrong side of a few players in the corner and in front of the net. On the offensive blue line he is quite effective. He maneuvers himself and the puck very effectively allowing opportunities to get the puck and deliver it on net. On top of that he made some nice reads in keeping plays alive through great board work. In the neutral zone he showed he has some nice anticipation in quickly jumping into lanes and intercepting passes. We’ll be watching Rayan closely over the season. Grade B-
| Caleb Wyrostok | Swift Current Broncos | WHL | R | F | 5’9″ | 163 | Swift Current Broncos | 2019 | Medicine Hat, AB | 2003 | 2021-2022: C |
Caleb is an absolute buzz saw on the ice. He was involved in the play each and every time he was on the ice. He has breakaway speed in a straight line, which he showed in the second period, albeit he couldn’t finish the play after making a nice move on Prince Albert’s goalie. He understands his role on the ice and plays it very well. He was constantly agitating his opponents and when they took their eye off him for a second he was creating offensively. His offensive upside is apparent, but not quite at the top-6 level. He showed he has the speed, the hands and an above average shot and release, he just needs to add a little more confidence to his game to put it all together. His feisty play was a pleasure to see. He was throwing his body and fists around all game. Whether it was sticking up for a teammate or causing a disturbance, he was involved. Grade B-
| Connor Hvidston | Swift Current Broncos | WHL | L | F | 6’1″ | 165 | Swift Current Broncos | 2021 | Tisdale, SK | 2004 | 2021-2022: C |
Connor is definitely a player who needs a little more adjustment period to the WHL level. We’ve seen him play before at different levels and know what he is capable of, and he is just starting to show some of that nearly 20 games into his first season. He is a big, strong, two-way centre who can move effortlessly around the ice. He uses his smarts and skating to time plays perfectly, whether it’s on a breakout, a neutral zone regroup or an offensive rush, he finds himself in the right spot right on time. His faceoff percentage on the evening was below average, but not from a lack of compete on the draws, a few times he was out-maneuvered, but he never lost one clean. His stick work is quite good as are his puck handles. One play in particular stood out, just inside his own blue line he knocked down a puck and made a quick step and moved to his forehand before delivering a bullet pass between a defender’s feet and stick to his streaking winger. In the third period we saw some nice power play work from Connor. He was situated on the half-wall and the puck seemed to find him quite often. He delivered crisp, quick passes, and then fired a couple nice, low snap shots on net. He has definitely developed his defensive game, his angling and back checking were quite impressive during this game, as were his defensive zone responsibilities. Connor needs another gear to excel at this stage, but that may come with added game play and confidence. Grade C+
| Joshua Davies | Swift Current Broncos | WHL | L | LW | 5’10” | 196 | Swift Current Broncos | 2019 | Airdrie, AB | 2004 | 2021-2022: C |
Josh came into the Broncos system last season as a 16-year-old in the Eastern bubble. During that stint he had nine points in 20 games including six goals. This year has has fallen off that pace a little with just 4 points in 14 games, all of them being goals. In this game, it seemed Josh was far more focused on the physical side of his game than the offensive side. He was quite aggressive on the body checking, which he did well. And after the whistle he wasn’t afraid to get in guy’s faces – he didn’t back down all night. When Josh got pucks with open ice he looked very good and quite fast, albeit he seemed to have just one straight away speed which made him easy to defend. Josh did fire three shots on net, and all three of them were heavy and accurate. Grade C
| Josh Filmon | Swift Current Broncos | WHL | L | F | 6’2″ | 159 | Swift Current Broncos | 2020 | Winnipeg, MB | 2004 | 2021-2022: C+ |
Josh is a tall, lanky forward who needs to develop his body a little more to reach his potential. Sitting third on the Broncos in scoring this season with 10 points in 16 games including six goals, he’s proven to have the ability to create offensively. What he needs is to muscle up a bit to become a high-end WHL player and an NHL prospect. His hands are there, they are quite good and crafty. His quick stickhandles in tight spaces were impressive. His skating is decent, but lacks that explosiveness that comes with the much needed strength. His agility is solid, however his balance needs quite a bit of work. He was knocked off the puck and off his feet too many times. His stick work on the checking side is quite good, as he uses his smarts to position himself into areas where players have limited options. When he has them cornered he often steals the puck or pokes it away. Josh made a nice heads-up quick pass to Owen Pickering for the lone Broncos goal. Right now Josh thrives on the power play, however he definitely has the potential to become an excellent all-situation player for the Broncos. Grade C+
Prince Albert Raiders
| Dallyn Peekeekoot | Prince Albert Raiders | WHL | R | LW | 5’11” | 207 | Prince Albert Raiders | 2019 | Canwood, SK | 2004 | 2021-2022: C |
Dallyn was the game’s first star by way of scoring two very nice goals. They weren’t highlight reel coast-to-coast, but they showed Dallyn has very quick hands with a goal scorer’s touch. On his first goal the puck took a weird bounce off the faceoff to the right of Reid Dyck and Dallyn pounced quickly and released a very accurate shot before Dyck could get set to make the save. On his second goal, which was on the power play, Dallyn set up a perfect screen in front of Dyck and readjusted off the point shot to put a picture-perfect deflection into the net. Dallyn’s skating is decent, but not special nor explosive. With the puck he keeps his feet moving and can handle himself well without the fear of being caught from behind. His puck handling in tight spaces and while attacking defenders is quite good. He has a solid understanding of where to put the puck to keep it out of reach or make it very difficult to take away from him. Around the net he is crafty. To my surprise he had just one goal coming into the contest. I’m sure the Raiders and Peekeekoot himself expect more production. Away from the puck Dallyn isn’t lost, but he does need to get more involved. He does skate hard in both directions, but putting more pressure on the backcheck would be nice to see. Grade B
| Vladislav Shilo | Prince Albert Raiders | WHL | L | LW | 6’3″ | 196 | Prince Albert Raiders | 2021 | Minsk, BLR | 2003 | 2021-2022: C |
Vladislav, a first-year WHL player, was arguably the most dynamic player for the Prince Albert Raiders in this game. He is a big, powerful forward with elite hands. His puckhandling all over the ice was really nice to watch, but when he got over the offensive blue line he turned it up a notch. His moves and dekes were the best on the evening, by far. He has the ability to use his reach to lure defencemen out of their comfort area and then quickly pull the puck around them or push it through their feet. Listed at 6’3″ 196lbs the undrafted ‘03 will most definitely get some looks. His footwork is decent, but not a match for his hands, as he uses his hands to elude and evade. If his feet and overall speed catch up to his hands he’ll be a handful for any defender. We found it surprising to see Vladislav has yet to score this season through nine games. He had three shots on net in this game including a few on the power play. We guess it’s only a matter of time before he gets adjusted to the WHL pace and begins putting up points on a regular basis. Grade B
| Hayden Pakkala | Prince Albert Raiders | WHL | R | RW | 6’0″ | 190 | Prince Albert Raiders | 2021 | Okotoks, AB | 2004 | 2021-2022: C |
Hayden had a very good game, from a coaches standpoint, as he was uber responsible with the puck. Anywhere on the ice he made responsible, smart decisions with the puck and kept it out of danger, relieved pressure and didn’t turn it over. There wasn’t anything flashy about his game, but a lot to like in his smart and simple plays. His skating is adequate, but will need to improve if he wants to advance in his career. Right now he gets by with his smarts over his skill, but that all needs to be elevated. He showed some patience with the puck in the neutral zone, with his head up he worked up ice well with some nice lateral movement gaining the zone. Upon any pressure felt he was quick to react to ensure he kept off the turnover stat line. The one play that was a slight negative for Hayden was he had an opportunity in the third period with the puck in the slot and had his stick lifted. The shot should have been off his stick already. Grade C+
| Tyson Laventure | Prince Albert Raiders | WHL | R | RW | 6’3″ | 185 | Prince Albert Raiders | 2018 | Lloydminster, AB | 2003 | 2021-2022: C |
Tyson physically struggled a bit in this game, but has nine points in nine games, including four goals this season. He scored the empty-net fourth goal in this game. He skates well, he was involved in the play all over the ice, and he is impossible to miss out there. Of all the players on the ice he is the one you can hear skating – those deep powerful strides cut the ice up. Along with his long stride he uses his reach very well in chipping pucks past defenders and then out-skating and out-reaching them. His passing is very good, with some great passes in the neutral zone to streaking linemates and a few terrific plays in the offensive zone with some quick zips to open players. Tyson is a big kid listed at 6’3 186lbs, yet in this game he often lost puck battles on the boards which came as a surprise. When you see a player of his stature head into a puck battle we’d often see them come out with the puck and the other player on their butt. This wasn’t the case at all here. I don’t think this was a good showing for Tyson and we look forward to seeing him again. Grade C
| Sloan Stanick | Prince Albert Raiders | WHL | L | F | 6’1″ | 176 | Everett Silvertips | 2018 | Rapid City, MB | 2003 | 2021-2022: C |
Sloan was a very consistent player through two periods. He was up and down his wing, but seemingly nowhere near the play. He seemed a step behind for most of 40 minutes and needed something to get involved in the game. He’s got okay speed, which he finally showed in the third, but each time in the first two periods he touched the puck he slowed down. It was frustrating to watch. In the third he came out with a little more jump and made a decent rush up the ice crossing through the neutral zone and attacking the opposite side defender while on the power play. He began moving the puck better with more velocity and with better intentions. Sloan finished the game with zero points, zero shots and zero penalties. Grade C-
Evaluation: Brant Kersey